A new era of e-sports is on the horizon! The Texas e-Sports Association, Quantic Gaming, and Cyber Sports Network have partnered to bring you the most incredible fusion of professional and collegiate StarCraft II action to ever transpire in one place: the Lone Star Clash: Gauntlet of Champions.

The Lone Star Clash: Gauntlet of Champions aims to bring together two huge e-sports demographics in a way that has never been done before. There will be two parallel brackets: the Collegiate StarLeagueSouthern Regional Playoff Qualifier event and a 16-person pro-player invitational event. We hope to foster the growth of the e-sports scene by bringing together the relentless passion of the collegiate gaming community and the unparalleled following of the professional world.

The Texas e-Sports Association, Quantic Gaming, and Cyber Sports Network are proud to offer a staggering prize pool of $10,000 for the professional invitational. The collegiate bracket will offer a prize pool of $1,500. On top of this, a multitude of quality prizes and products will be given away through raffles, contests, and completion of real-life achievements, both in-person AND online. The event will also feature additional open fighting game style tournaments for four titles with separate prize pools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QVQHVViqpw&feature=player_embedded

Special Thank to:

General InformationDates: March 17-18, 2012Location: University of Texas at Austin campus (SAC Building)

First Player Announcement - StephanoWe are excited to reveal that first player that will be competing in the invitational is Ilyes “Mill.Stephano” Satouri!

“I'm really happy to attend to the Lone Star Clash: Gauntlet of Champions, last time I went to usa I managed to win one of the biggest lan in the world ( IPL 3 ), let's hope this will happen again, maybe usa is " my " land !” -Ilyes "Stephano" Satouri

Second Player Announcement - NonYWe are excited to reveal that second player that will be competing in the invitational is Tyler "LiquidNonY" Wasieleski!

"As a resident of the Lone Star State, it is my sacred duty and privilege to defend this land. Ain't no foreigner gonna come to Texas and show me up. There can be only one victor in the Lone Star Clash and you can bet the ranch it's gonna be me." - Tyler "NonY" Wasieleski

Third Player Announcement - SjoWWe are excited to reveal that third player that will be competing in the invitational is Jeffrey "DignitasSjoW" Brusi!

"A tournament like this is a real treat for the community. I'm happy to attend and support esports events like this. Also it's a lot warmer than sweden at this month ^^" - Jeffrey "DignitasSjoW" Brusi

Fourth Player Announcement - DestinyWe are excited to reveal that fourth player that will be competing in the invitational is Steven "QuanticDestiny" Bonnell!

"I'm really excited to play, I've been practicing a bit more seriously lately and I can't wait to get some more live experience under my belt." - Steven "QuanticDestiny" Bonnell

Fifth Player Announcement - DeMusliMWe are excited to reveal that fifth player that will be competing in the invitational is Benjamin "EGDeMusliM" Baker!

"After this tournament every town in Texas will be flying British flags" - Benjamin "EGDeMusliM" Baker

Sixth Player Announcement - SleepWe are excited to reveal that sixth player that will be competing in the invitational is Seong “xSixSleep” Kim!

"This is my first invitational North American tournament since my recruitment into CheckSix, so I will attempt to produce good results. Thank you for the invite and I won't disappoint." Seong “xSixSleep” Kim

Seventh Player Announcement - StateWe are excited to reveal that seventh player that will be competing in the invitational is the winner of the Texas StarCraft Showdown, Ryan “vileState” Visbeck!

"I'm very happy to be invited to the Lone Star Clash: Gauntlet of Champions! I loved my stay in Austin for the TeSPA StarCraft Showdown and I hope I'll do well again. Thanks for having me!" Ryan “vileState” Visbeck

Eighth Player Announcement - WhiteRaWe are excited to reveal that eighth player that will be competing in the invitational is Aleksey "Tt.WhiteRa" Krupnyk!

"It’s a very good idea to make this event within a university. It’s the first time I’ve seen a large event of this kind with a good prize and such strong players. I’m very happy to see TteSports sponsor this event and will try to show my best for my fans!" Aleksey "Tt.WhiteRa" Krupnyk

Ninth Player Announcement - SeleCTWe are excited to reveal that ninth player that will be competing in the invitational is Ryoo "DignitasSeleCT" Kyung Hyun!

"This is my first tournament in US in this year, so I am very excited to play. I wish to show entertaining, and high level game." Ryoo "SeleCT" Kyung Hyun

Tenth Player Announcement - iNcontroLWe are excited to reveal that tenth player that will be competing in the invitational is Geoff "EGiNcontroL" Robinson!

"I am thrilled to return to Texas to compete with some of the best. TeSPA has done really great and I can't wait to be a part of the next chapter! Wish me luck!" Geoff "EGiNcontroL" Robinson

Eleventh Player Announcement - viOLetWe are excited to reveal that eleventh player that will be competing in the invitational is Kim "Empire.viOLet" Dong Hwan!

"I am excited to be playing in Texas where I live now. Thank you everyone who cheer for me and I hope to show good games." Kim "Empire.viOLet" Dong Hwan

Twelfth Player Announcement - DragonWe are excited to reveal that twelfth player that will be competing in the invitational is Jeon "Dragon" Yong Soo. Yong Soo’s attendance has been made possible through a personal sponsorship from Playhem!

"First of all I'd like to say that it's an honor to be invited to the event. I haven't had an opportunity yet to attend an offline event for my fans, so I'll definitely try to produce good results for them." Jeon “Dragon” Yong Soo

Thirteenth Player Announcement - TSL.PoltWe are excited to reveal that thirteenth player that will be competing in the invitational is Sung Hoon "TSL.Polt" Choi.

"I will try my best to show a great match. I would also like to face Stephano in the finals again." -Sung Hoon "TSL.Polt" Choi

Fourteenth Player Announcement - vileHawkWe are excited to reveal that fourteenth player that will be competing in the invitational is Devan "vileHawk" Subramaniam

"This time TeSPA is bringing out the big guns to stop the vile dominance in Austin. Koreans, Code-S players, and special tactics, it don't matter. Ya'll better recognize that this is has been our home turf for a year now. When the dust settles and the straw balls pass everyone will leave with that vile taste in their mouths!" -Devan "vileHawk" Subramaniam

Fifteenth Player Announcement - GrubbyWe are excited to reveal that fifteenth player that will be competing in the invitational is Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen.

Sixteenth Player Announcement - BlinGWe are excited to reveal that fifteenth player that will be competing in the invitational is Samayan "DignitasBlinG" Kay.

Replacing SjoW - Player Announcement - HeavensLighTDue to his team switch, SjoW is no longer able to attend the Lone Star Clash. In his place, we are excited to announce that Nam "HeavensLighT" Tran will be taking his place and rounding out our line-up.

"holy shit" - Nam "HeavensLighT" Tran

Want to find out who we release each day as soon as we announce them? Each player will be announced on Twitter a few hours before this post is updated. Follow us!

We are proud to announce that this event will be cast by Ben “MrBitter” Nichol and Kevin "RotterdaM" van der Kooi! Joining him Alex “Axeltoss” Rodriguez and Justin “TheGunRun” Ignacio. We are also excited to announce that The Lone Star Clash will be emceed by Rachel Quirico of CSN.

In addition, we will feature guest commentary by some of your favorite pro-player personalities through the weekend. More information will be made available once the full player list is announced!

Texas e-Sports Association, Quantic Gaming, and Cyber Sports Network’s Lone Star Clash: Gauntlet of Champion’s will take place in the Student Activities Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin, TX. We will be linking three rooms to create an atmosphere of fun and excitement all weekend long.

The Ballroom: All of the players will be playing in the exquisite Grand Ballroom. The room will be open for spectators to visit, but most of the exciting action will occur in the Auditorium.

The Auditorium: This is where all of action will happen! This room will be decked out in a stunning and dynamic e-sports set. To make things even more intense, we will be using state-of-the-art concert style lighting to pump up the audience and create the most frenzied atmosphere attempted at any e-sports event to date. We will be casting all games LIVE from the auditorium! In addition, all interviews, community discussions, and player panels will take place here.

The Black Box: This theatre will be home of all open fighting game tournaments. Current tournaments are planned for Soul Calibur V, Street Fighter IV, Brawl, and Ultimate Marvel v. Capcom III. More details about this section will be released soon.

Venue AddressStudent Activities Center2201 SpeedwayAustin, TX 78712

ParkingA discount rate will be available for the weekend in San Jacinto Garage.San Jacinto Garage2401 San Jacinto BoulevardAustin, TX 78712

Admission: See the registration section below for information regarding registration and admission.

A huge component of this event is a fight for collegiate domination! The winner of this event will receive an automatic playoff spot in Collegiate StarLeague’s Season II playoffs. Currently, 11 universities from 7 states are registered to play!

We are capping registration at 20 universities, so act quickly! Please follow click on the Collegiate StarLeague logo above to be instantly teleported to a mystical domain that is filled with registration instructions. Be sure to read the comments! Remember, you don't have to be registered as a team in the Collegiate StarLeague to compete. However, the same rules they use for teams (must consist of full time students, etc.) still apply.

Spectators can either purchase a spectator pass for a discount rate before the event or buy one at the door! The entry pass allows full access to the entire venue for both Saturday and Sunday. Click the registration link below to pre-order a spectator pass for the discounted rate of $8. Spectator passes will be $10 at the door.

If you are a student, you will receive two free raffle tickets for bringing a copy of your resume to the event and signing up at campus2careers.com Many of our sponsors will be on location and are coincidentally looking to hire. Enjoy a fun-filled weekend of StarCraft AND land that job or internship you’ve been looking for in a casual setting!

Important NoteOur event coincides with South-by-SouthWest (SXSW), a huge tech, film, and music festival that happens yearly in Austin. Due to the popularity of this event and the huge influx of people to Austin this week, we highly recommend you reserve your hotel as early as possible. Below are two options that are relatively close (10-12 miles to the venue) with reasonable rates and space that is still available.

Option 1: Red Roof Inn Austin NorthOne hotel we suggest using is the Red Roof Inn. Prices will range between $60-$90 per room per night. This hotel is within 10 miles of the campus venue.

Another nearby hotel is the Holiday Inn. Rooms at this hotel are going quickly and may or may not still be available. The suites available offer two queen size beds and a pull-out sofa (ideal for collegiate teams on a budget).

The Regional LAN will structured in two parts: Group Pool Play and Championship BracketGroup pool play will determine teams that will make it to the championship bracket.

Group Pool Play:There will be 4 pools, each consisting of up to 4 teams.Each team will play each other in a round robin format.The top 2 teams from each pool will advance to the championship bracket (8 total teams).Note: Tiebreakers will be handled by set differential. In the case that there is still a tie, another match will be played to determine winner.

Championship Bracket:The championship bracket will be a single elimination bracket consisting of the 8 teams that have advanced from pool play.Championship bracket seeding will be determined by performance in pool play.

The first four sets of the match must have 5 unique players from each team.A player can play at most twice in one match: once in sets 1-4 and again in the ace match. If playing again in the ace match, the player does not need to play as the same race as the previous game.2v2 Rules: Random racing is allowed.Double racing is NOT allowed in 2v2. However, RR, RZ, RP, and RT are allowed.

Note: First 4 sets are to be played simultaneously. In the case of a tie (2-2), the ace will be played immediately after both teams have submitted their ace.

Line up submission: Coordinators will submit their line-ups prior to each match personally to a tournament admin.

Administrative rules

Each team will have a coordinator that is responsible for organizing his or her team, submitting lineups and results, and serving as a point of contact with tournament staff and other coordinators.

Lineups are due 10 minutes after the start of a round is announced. Coordinators will be need to turn in their line-ups to a tournament admin. No matches can be postponed. Exceptions may be granted on a case by case basis upon detailed review by tournament admins.Teams are considered no-shows 30 minutes after the proposed time, and are given an automatic match loss. This counts as a forfeit loss.Teams will no longer be allowed to intentionally drop a player in the 2v2 set to "mineral feed" their teammate. Players who drop before 5:00 minutes will be considered intentional droppers, and the game will be remade. If you continue to play after 5:00 minutes with the intention to attack using shared resources, it will be a forfeit for the "feeding" team.

Match results and replays must be emailed to a tournament admin immediately after the match is played. A first instance of late reports will cause a warning, a second instance will result in the late-reported matches being considered null (0-0 for both teams), and a third instance will result in one loss added to the team’s record (0-3 replaces the match results for both teams). This rule will be strictly enforced this season.

If there is a dispute or assistance is needed, please contact a tournament admin at the help desk.

Gameplay rulesGame Settings:All games will take place on Battle.net North American serverAll games are to be played in game mode 1v1 (except for the Set 3, 2v2 match, of course) and game speed Faster.All players must have your status set to busy during a match.

Observers:Only players, tournament admins, and commentators are officially allowed in game. If both players agree, observers may join the game. ALL observers unaffiliated with tournament staff can be asked to leave at the players’ discretion, or can be denied entry before the game starts. Failure to adhere to a request to leave the game within a reasonable amount of time will result in an automatic set-loss for the observer’s team. All players must be set to “busy.” Any in game chat with external parties is grounds for disqualification.

In Game Chat:In-game chat should be limited to pp, ppp, or related (for PAUSING the game) and gg, good game or related (for ENDING the game). Players can ask to remake the game in the first 30 seconds if there are latency issues. Note: This rule is not meant to be strict; however, if a player asks for chat to stop, his request must be obliged. Continuing to chat will result in a set loss.

Drops, Disconnects, and Lag:If the a player disconnects before the first major attack the game will be remade. If there is a disconnect later in the game the following procedure is used to decide what action will be taken. First, the players can decide either who won the match or to play a regame. If players cannot come to an agreement the admins will decide. In general, if the game is close it will be a regame. If one player has a lead large enough that they would have to make a mistake to lose, that player will be awarded a win.

All players are responsible for checking their bandwidth before the game begins at a URL announced during the event. Failure to do so is solely the players fault and not that of the admins.

Any situation not covered in this rules will be left to the discretion of the admins and tournament coordinators.

The tournament format for the Lone Star Clash Invitational will be a standard Double Elimination, best of three bracket.

MAP SELECTION Before the series begins, both players veto one map that cannot be used throughout the entire series. A veto process will then be used when determining the first map to be played. Each player eliminates a map until one remains. Afterwards the map will be picked by the loser of the most recently played game. The same map cannot be played twice in a series. Each player will be allowed to veto one map.

Extended Series Rules There will be no extended series. The finals will consist of two best of five rounds (if applicable)

Administrative Rules: Players to check in with a tournament admin within 5 minutes of the start of a round.For assistance, players can contact a tournament admin at the help desk.

Game Settings: Higher seeded player must select the color red; lower seeded player must select the color blue.All players must have your status set to busy during a match.In the case of streamed matches high seeded players must sit on the stage right table.

Observers: Aside from players, tournament admins, and commentators, no other players will be allowed in game.

In Game Chat: In-game chat should be limited to pause requests and good game. Players can ask to remake the game in the first 30 seconds if there are latency issues. Note: This rule is not meant to be strict. All players must have their status set to busy while in game.

Setup TimesPlayers shall be required to be able to set up their equipment, settings, and any necessary practice games within 10 minutes of being called to their station (either in the player room or the main stage).

All players are responsible for checking their bandwidth before the game begins at a url announced during the event. Failure to do so is solely the players fault and not that of the admins.

Any situation not covered in this rules will be left to the discretion of the admins and tournament coordinators.

Texas e-Sports Association, commonly referred to as TeSPA, is the largest competitive gaming student organization in Texas. Founded in August 2010, TeSPA aims to bring together competitive gamers of all backgrounds to play, improve, and compete. TeSPA was originally started to bring together the StarCraft II players at the University of Texas at Austin to participate in the Collegiate StarLeague. Since then, TeSPA has expanded to include gamers of many genres. Today, Texas e-Sports Association proudly represents the University of Texas at Austin within the Collegiate StarLeague and IvyLoL leagues in StarCraft II and League of Legends respectively.

What TeSPA is most well known for are the StarCraft II tournaments it eagerly hosts. In hosting these tournaments, TeSPA has gained nationwide attention and a reputation for top-notch quality and reliability in event hosting. Texas e-Sports Association's October 2011 Texas Starcraft Showdown, cast by iNcontroL, boasted a $3000 prize pool and attracted over one hundred player participants from 16 universities. From the exceptional stream quality to the fine attention to detail, these tournaments stand out as an stellar example across the state and beyond.

On campus, Texas e-Sports Association regularly hosts large LAN events open to the public. At these LAN events, gamers are invited to come out and play their favorite games, whether PC and console. From Starcraft to Street Fighter, novice and master alike converge to enjoy the simple act of gaming. TeSPA frequently hosts Brawl, League of Legends, and StarCraft competitions at these LAN events. Texas e-Sports Association also prides itself on community involvement and support, using their talented student base as a positive force in the community through volunteering and hosting charity streaming marathons.

The Cyber Sports Network (CSN) is a dedicated organization of gaming enthusiasts and professional administrators working to support and provide for the fast-growing esports community.

Built from the ground up, CSN’s online tournament platform has been designed, tested, and fine-tuned to facilitate competitive game play with integrity and ease. Using the newest technology and input from professionals and the community, CSN has created a competitive environment that caters to all levels of player. The Cyber Sports Network is committed to continued product improvement with additional tournament and league features added on a regular basis.

With an ever-growing list of personalities and perspectives becoming relevant to the esports community, CSN has recognized the need for consistent, high-quality, in-depth coverage across all games and regions. CSN’s media coverage includes interviews, house tours, event showcases, player and personality profiles, headline investigations, and more.

Cyber Sports Network is committed to supporting the esports community, players, casters, and fans alike, as competitive gaming grows in popularity and matures into mainstream media.

Quantic Gaming, LLC (Houston, TX USA) is a revolutionary eSports, new media, and brand representation organization that is building bridges between the competitive gaming establishment through professional management, and utilization of new media platforms.

Quantic Gaming fields numerous competitive gaming teams, with presences in a variety of games including StarCraft 2, Call of Duty and Battlefield.

As a subsidiary of Quantic Gaming, “Quantic Events” is home to some of eSports’ most experienced organizers, offering professional planning and event management. Quantic Events aims to engage fans, both in-person and online, in unique and interactive ways.

The CSL uses South Korea’s Starcraft “Proleague” as a model for its format – pitting teams against each other on a weekly basis. We've come a long way in our first year. Twenty-five teams participated in the inaugural season of CSL. Fifty-four teams and nearly four hundred players duked it out in season two. The third season featured over seventy teams, and we saw the fiercest competition yet in Season 4, in which over one-hundred forty teams battled it out for the first time in StarCraft II. Today, we have over two-hundred forty schools ready to play for Season 5. We have a re-vamped website, better coverage, and much more broadcasting lined up this season.

Our shared dream of introducing e-Sports to North America is only just beginning. The CSL is merely a small step in the process of creating enough excitement and passion for e-Sports to fill stadiums, be broadcast on television, and ultimately become a part of mainstream culture.

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our event sponsors! Without their generous support, this event would not be possible. Please be sure to thank them for supporting this unique event.

This is absolutely sick. Really really exciting to see this! It makes me optimistic about the future. As a team owner I can say CSN is one of the best players in the scene right now. Go to twitter and follow these guys.